My Smart Puppy Minute Episode 10 Fetch on PetLifeRadio.com

Learn three quick tips for teaching your puppy to be a fetching star! (Although, really, it helps any age dog achieve fetching greatness.) Each tip makes complete sense once you hear it and your puppy will agree! Give it a try.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's Talk Pets. Welcome to

(00:26):
the My Smart Puppy Minute. This is Sarah Wilson and
in this episode, we're going to go over three tips
for getting your puppy to fetch. It is so much
fun to play fetch with dogs. It is one of
the universal games that both humans and dogs love. There
are ways to make that game easier, and here are

(00:47):
three of them. When you're starting to teach your puppy
how to play fetch, start in a hallway or toss
the item toward a corner. Either way, you want to
make it very difficult for the puppy to run off
on their own with the toy. That way, really, they
have no choice but to come back in your direction
next the minute they pick the toy up, praise them

(01:10):
from the moment they pick it up. It's good puppy. Yay,
good puppy. Clap your hands, really encourage them to come
back to you. Good. Good, outa way good. And if
the puppy spits the toy out along the way, just
go silent, as if you turned off a faucet. So
it's good, puppy, yay, good puppy. You're not angry. You
just stop the positive input instantly. The more instant you

(01:34):
can be, the clearer it will be for your puppy
what it is you like and what it is you
don't like so much. If they go and pick it
up again, you start up again, Good boy, What a
good puppy. Ata boy. Lastly, don't focus on grabbing the
toy when the puppy comes back to you. When the
puppy comes back to you. What you want to reward

(01:56):
is the puppy coming back to you. So the puppy
comes back to you, you pet them, You cheer them on. Good.
That was so good, What a good puppy? That was great? Good,
good puppy. Use your hands gently. Try to develop the
skill of being enthusiastic with your voice and gentle and
calm with your hands. It takes a little while because

(02:18):
usually our hands match our voice at first, but you
want to be gentle and stroking with the dog's fur
when you're praising them enthusiastically. Otherwise, with a puppy, if
your hands are excited, they tend to get really rambunctious
and they'll start to jump around and mouth and get crazy.
So calm hands, enthusiastic voice, you want to praise them

(02:40):
for at least ten to twenty seconds when they return
to you, then casually take the toy and do it again.
If when the puppy comes back to you, you just
make a grab at the toy, that's a great way
to teach the puppy to stay just out of reach
because they don't want you to grab the toy. So remember,
play in an area where they really have to come

(03:02):
back in your direction. Praise them the moment they pick
up the item until they're all the way back to you,
turning off that praise like a faucet if they drop it.
And then when they do get back to you, pet them,
praise them, let them know just how pleased you are
that they came all the way back. After that, gently
take the toy and play again. Do it this way,

(03:25):
and pretty soon your puppy will run out, grab the
toy and run back to you with a wagging tail.
Really happen, enthusiastic, and you will have a lifelong fetcher
on your hands and a lot of fun for both
of you through the years. If you have any questions
at all, please stop by mysmartpuppy dot com and ask
us that our forums. We are moderated, we are friendly,

(03:46):
and we are there to help. Now, go out play
some fetch with your puppy and come by and tell
me how it goes. Have a great week. Let's Talk
pets every week on demand only on pet life Radio
dot com.